₦airaland Forum

Katsumoto: Despite his initial good intentions, Ojukwu was not prepared for war. Dede is unlikely to agree with this since he thinks the only error Ojukwu made was in appointing Banjo to lead the BEF. This is just my opinion.

Strategic errors
1. [b]Not realising that Biafra did not have the resources to engage the Nigerian side. A very gifted General will use the weight and/or size of its enemy against it (Judo strategy). Biafra was outnumbered and outgunned but it did nothing extra-ordinary to shift the balance of the war. Please read about how Ho Chi Minh defeated first, the French and then the Americans despite being seriously out-gunned.[/b]2. Not forming alliances before declaring Biafra. It didn't reach alliances with the West or the Camerouns to its East. Due to antecedents in Nigeria's history, Biafra did not have the complete support of the groups geographically beneath it. This was particularly telling as it became blockaded for most periods of the war.
3. Not anticipating that super powers would support Nigeria (this is called short-sightedness). Blaming it on the discovery of crude oil is flippant.
4. Using Enugu as the capital with it so close to the Northern front. Enugu was captured after only 3 months of fighting (Oct 4th). The fall of Enugu meant that Biafra was always on the backfoot.
5. Not realising that without a capable Navy, Biafra would be blockaded
6. Declaring Biafra too soon; Biafra was declared on May 29th, Nigeria launched its offensive on the 6th of July. Biafra did not have the time to source for weapons. Hence its locally made weapons were not sufficient to prosecute a full scale war.
7. Biafra did not have the means to feed its citizens with the war on its soil; this was exacerbated by not having a single ally on any of its borders

I have read from you the good, the bad and this is definitely the ugly. Did you mention that Ho Chi Minh was apparently outgunned yet he defeated France and USA? This political posture is akin to despoil of historical facts. When I read about the conflict between North and South Vietnam, I draw a conclusion from two diametrically opposed political philosophies. In addition, it was war instigated by the superpowers and regional resentment of far away superpower with an alien socio-political influence.

Baring intellectual dishonesty on your part, you should have realized that Ho Chi Minh was militarily and economically backed by superpower such as USSR and neighboring communist oriented countries such China, Laos and Cambodia. It will amount to historical fallacy to juxtapose the political issues of Biafra to North Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh.

I shall not give credence to other enumerated conjectures within your post by commenting on them.

seanet02:
Until dede answer the following questions, she has gotten no point, its all ranting as usual. Who were the first coupists in the country? Why was the premier of the eastern region not killed while others were murdered? Why was the president given hint of the planned coup since he is part of the inept government the coupists want to send out of power or he could have planned an unexpected trip abroad? Why did ifeajuna went missing ? Why did the new head of state refuse to punish the rebels even after they killed political leaders who are from other tribes and intentionally left their own kinsmen untouched? Why did ojukwu decide to extend his frontiers to lagos even when the people of YORUBA land are not in support of what is happening? Why did eastern leaders colluded with northern leaders to jail AWOLOWO on a trumped up charge? Why did eastern leaders colluded with north to create the midwest even when other regions were left alone? Is dede saying that he knows more than Mc. Ajuluchukwu? Dede please answer this questions first before wasting bandwidth.

Until seanet02 learns to pose intelligent questions, she will remain an intellectual midget. I do not dwell on issues born out of conjectural silliness spurred by inherent idleness. If I had to be compelled to give answers to those irresponsible questions, I suggest you should be banned from this forum for waste of bandwidth.

Ibime:
Wars are not fought by number of men anymore but by sophistication of weaponry.

Gaddaffi should go and find his voice in an Arab forum.

African Union is making progress and don't need to be derailed by the likes of Gaddaffi with his rants

Do not discount the number of men under the arm, weaponry sophistication or not, unless you are willing to unleash the ultimate weapon of mass destruction.

If the so-called Atiku’s supporters are for real with the threat of canceling Nigeria, it will be a welcome idea and I shall honestly support such endeavor.

@OP

The so-called born to rule in Nigeria was a product of Nigeria/Biafra civil war. There is no doubt many people that post on this forum are historically ignorance. The southerners, baring Biafrans, installed the northerners as usurpers of ruling thrown in Nigeria. I hate to hear this delusional cry about Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Tiv, Nupe or even Bachama dominating the ruling class of Nigeria especially when it is coming from a southerner- death, alive or yet to be born.

Blazay:
Good riddance I say. . .to you akpu-snorting ritualists. You have disgraced Nigeria enough world wide. Make sure you burn your Nigerian passports and use your ugly Biafran ones to swallow mounds of akpu-laced heroine and cocaine balls with your wide arse*s used to ferry narcotics from continent to continent. Shameless things. You even use your rectums for sexual activity too. . .everything but what the good lord created it for. . .and use your oral cavities to do number twos instead. You local, intercontinental, world and global sacrileges. Less criminals for Nigeria, less pedo-philes, less wife-beaters, less yahoo boys in the cyber cafes all over Nigeria and less kidnappers and baby-sellers too. Ugly, strong faces, hands and feet. I can't wait I tellya. Please, take all your Okija shrines with you and your Uba brothers too. Bloody, cold-hearted killers!

Twa!

This is a ranting of an ant. I guess historically you are a midget and psychologically a confused slave. If you have not reduced your parental posterity into trivial circumstances, I would have joined issue with you on the subjects of your rambling.

The issue is not leaving PDP but lack of political game plan and immature political structure in the jungle called Nigeria. There are clauses within the working documents of each of the political parties that stipulate the duration of membership before any party member can seek for political offices under such party’s platform. Also there is a waver clause the intended party could employ in such circumstances. I think GEJ knew about these circumstances and decided to rock PDP’s boat with respect to section 7-2C of the party’s constitution. I guess he must be a fool relying on the power of incumbency to run the dirty shroud over PDP.

Blazay:
Well, you still have a chance. Why hang on to your wishes? By the way please your grammar bothers me. Feel free to correct me too. Instead of waiting like a beggar for Igbo VP slot in 2011 and gloating over the presidential one in 2015, why not use your so-called Biafra might to snatch it to your selves like real mean huh? I ask again, what is stopping you. At least the dummy south-south has tasted that position while you are still carrying last in that department. Shame on you. Omo-odos!

If I say you are a walking disappointment, it must be an understatement. It is only an irreparable fool will be proud of and hunger for Nigerian presidency. Are you nuts or what? Believe me, if you want to take Nigerian presidency for keep I say knock yourself silly with it. My only cause of action shall remain working towards disintegration of the cesspit called Nigeria.

[quote author=ndu_chucks link=topic=568982.msg7354477#msg7354477 date=1292586316]I give you credit for being intellectually honest even though some of the underlying facts in many of your posts are wrong, causing the devaluation of the posts.

The bolded portion above is an undeniable fact. It is also the basis of my grouse with the great Ojukwu. Given the fact you pointed out, Ojukwu should have known at the onset of Biafra’s blockage that we were on the verge of a major disaster and should have surrendered immediately - I’d even argue that he should have surrendered way before that time. Why continue to fight a losing war and allow thousands of innocent children and women to starve to death. Mind you, Biafran soldiers did not starve to death and Ojukwu himself ended up fleeing.

Ojukwu is just as guilty of starving innocent children and women, as some commanders of the Nigerian army.[/quote]I do not believe in regurgitating of facts. My people say that nobody would request the boiling of water simply because he will fall off palm tree. Biafra was not separate country from Nigeria however unforeseen circumstances spurred once integral part of Nigeria to declare independence. It is, in fact, a display of intellectual dishonesty to accuse Ojukwu of not being prepared for the war.

When the war started, the ball game remained a subject of chances and surprises because both sides could not boast of weaponry beyond the era of WWI. In addition, the most easterners did not realize there were many northerners in south of Nigeria masquerading as southerners even though most of their kindred were touched by the murderous and barbaric behavior of northerners’ in1966.

One of the unfortunate circumstances that sealed the faith of Biafra was crude oil. Some of the world powers especially Britain were not prepared to deal with African who was intellectually endowed and sitting on top crude oil reserve such as Ojukwu. The fear of African country such as Biafra was even magnified when the young country started producing magnificent products without any industrial help from the colonialists.

okstol:
Aigbofa:
Absolute bunkum to suggest only ibos are hardworking and therefore resented by their less ambitious and less hardworking hosts! How dumb, perhaps this is the type of mindset that cause others to resent you.
The absolute disdain you have for your neighbors is certainly not a way to endear yourselves to them.

Its a pity that you comprehend with your a.s.s. The lad said that Igbos are hard-working. So, its a now a crime for someone to be patriotic. Dude, visit a senile dementia therapist.

Comprehension is not one of the Aigbofool’s fortes. The punk is a functional illiterate.

[quote author=eku_bear link=topic=71106.msg7339457#msg7339457 date=1292411607]Eh, Obama is one out of 40+ presidents and has a somewhat tenuous hold on power. I'm a fan of the guy and voted for him, but am not sure he is the best example to use. Obamas do not grow on trees, and even Obama's success is not nearly a given.

This is a good goal. I think if you enshrine political strength for minorities in your constitution (the US Senate is basically an example of this), then things will work out well. It would be pretty easy to sell Biafra to Eastern minorities if say the presidency were relatively weak, the Senate quite strong, and some overwhelming supermajority is required in the Senate to get things done.

That way minorities have constitution rights and mechanisms to prevent themselves from being numerically overwhelmed.[/quote]I do not know what you meant by selling Biafra to eastern minorities. The eastern minorities as you ascribed them held sway in governmental positions in the former eastern region of Nigerian that morphed into Biafra. Eastern minorities were head of government in eastern region, secretary to the government of both eastern region Nigeria and Biafra, was second in command of the Biafran armed forces, gave eastern region of the name- Biafra, was leader in the house of chiefs in eastern region of Nigeria, was Biafran ambassador to Britain and held numerous political positions both in eastern region and Biafra. The so-called eastern minorities were part and parcel of Biafra until final outcome of the war.

All these silly distancing and immoral denial were due to the fact Biafra the lost war. It is understandable from the political point that some eastern minorities engaged in shameful denial after all many Germans denied being citizen of Germany after the WWII.

Good governance does not fear political rhetorics. Only governments that are fraught with nepotism, corruption and disregard for rule of law would shout treason as a result of innocuous statement accredited to Atiku. Real democracy paradoxically empowers citizens to speak freely about their government including how the government could be changed.

Blazay:
You are entitled to your own opinions.
Your coup-plotting, blood-thirsty Igbotic ancestors set the ball rolling.
You can keep denying it all your want.

If I am entitled to my opinion as you are entitled to your ridiculous thoughts, how does the essence of denial streamed into this discuss? If they were as bloodthirsty as I had liked, we should not have engaged in this futile exercise.

Blazay:
Thanks for the education. Like I stated earlier. . . .we are all here to learn from eachother.
But nothing you wrote up there can enrich the intellectual faculty of a lizard not to mention a pet water-turtle.
Glad you did not deny that the Igbos were the agressors.
Glad too the Northerners got help. . . and are still getting help.
For the world recognized then and forever, that a renegade Biafra can only produce the callousness on two legs worse than Hitler himself.
I shall keep rejoicing. Those your MASSOB terroristic sleeper cells end under your pillow or inside your denture cup on your night stand.

Ciao!

I shall not blame you because of the self-indictment that lizard would have out- performed you if my post was meant for comprehensible analysis. If you are one of the creams of crop from northern region of Nigeria as you would want us to believe pal, you would have come to terms that Biafra was not the aggressor as the first sentence of the paragraph you highlighted explained.

chyz:
Dede1 do you actually think ohanaeze and majority of other igbo be supporting GEJ if trust wasn't broken before(by the northerners)? Lets build trust after records are corrected.The northerners got themselves into this situation by rigging in yaradua, so that's their problem.

I do not care what Ohanaeze does because I am not a member of the political party. As of what you referred as “majority of other Igbo supporting of GEJ” is quantitatively irrelevance as regards the polity in Nigeria. Whatever northern region of Nigeria did with Yar Adua based on the PDP’s constitutional stipulation about zoning formula remains northern region’s political trophy. I am still at lost what political intuition that spurred GEJ to pick Sambo as VP instead a fellow from either south or so-called south-south. Politics is a game fraught with intrigues and unwelcome pattern of unparallel inconsistency. Even when the political pendulum swings to the south by obeying the PDP 7-2C, there should be politics to be hashed out. But the issue of GEJ and the ill-educated support of GEJ by the so-called Ohanaeze are not setting a landmark of political precedence to encourage any political trust.

Blazay:
You are the one looking like a fool dear.
Why don't you start from the very beginning where it all originated huh?
At least we all know you are older than Nigeria, so you should know better.
So, why feign ignorance to just to impress yourself and others who may care?

Start from 1966 when the stoopid Igbos decided to over-dose on that nasty 'akpu' staple, non-nutritive, concept of an object to go on some insane, ritualistic-killings, rampages all over Nigeria, while sparing their own kin-pin ritualists. . , . . . .Nigeria will not be in the knot it is today.

Now, you stop acting your 'midgety' kindaffa shoe-size and act your age. . .I don't mean your 'green' card/assylum application age.

For those talking of innocent "Igbo families". . . oh well, tough. Collateral damage shall we say, with all due regrets as in all wars? All is fair in love and war. Next, time. . .tell your 'agbaya-olodotious' elders not to pick unnecessary fights where the need does not arise. Never start what you cannot finish.

You can not stop displaying your historical ignorance and third grade foolish social order on subjects beyond your ill-educated pedigree. I guess the alluded coup in your intellectually bereaved post was precipitated under Nigerian coat of arms not of Igbo. It will amount to waste of forum’s bandwidth to join issue with a borderline historical novice such as you. Northern region of Nigeria had indicated its socio-political barbarism as far back as 1956.

As the Nigeria/Biafra war goes, it is a total display of intellectual recklessness to gloat about the outcome when it is apparent that no single region of north, west or mid-west could singularly stand in the Biafra’s war path.

It would have been great if Biafra had launched the first pre-emptive attack on the Nigeria as to validate your nonsensical jargon of “Never you start what you can not finish”. Well educated individuals from the backwater called northern region of Nigeria and probably wiser than you have repeatedly said Biafra would have dealt serious number on the northern region baring the help from other southerners, Britain, USSR, Australia, Egypt, Chad, Cameroon and United Arab League. If you were not a clone of intellectual midget, you should have stopped fanning your joyous embers of the outcome about Nigeria/Biafra civil war.

revolt:
^^unfortunately he's so dumb to think of that. Thinks he can beat the north in a free and fair election. Democracy a game of numbers.

Democracy is not only a game of numbers but trust. With trust, the participants can build consensus among themselves. Block-headed GEJ has broken whatever element of political trust knitted by PDP.

@Blazay


Which of the Vietnamese were the aggressors? How were Ndigbo the aggressors? Biafra did not even attack Oturukpo but Nigeria attacked Biafra through Gakam and Ohamufo. I suggest you pay respect to historical events before you look like a fool.

Nsiman:
Inevitable violence in 2011 = inevitable distintegration of nigeria

I had been praying for your ordinate summation to become a reality so that nation states bunched up into the cesspit called Nigeria should go their different ways.

With bunch of uncivilized Nigerians holding sway in writing essays born out of their inarticulate minds such as the political encomiums heaped on Anthony Enahoro on this forum, there is no doubt Nigeria is headed to self-destruction.

Anthony Enahoro vehemently opposed the creation of Mid-western region in the 60s. He was the original anchor of the phrase “if starvation is a weapon of war, Nigeria shall use it against Biafra”. I wasted not time to inform him in Washington, DC while he was trying to amend certain political blunders of yesteryears that he was better dead than alive because his previous political exploits were foolhardy.

seanet02:
For God Sake, when will eze uche start using his brain, No matter how tiny it may be, During the civil war, Awo have no Army, no Naval Force, No Airforce not even a civil defence nor Police Force to Defend His people from the ravaging Ojukwu the bingo, So you expect Awo to allow Ojukwu to run over his people.
Awo did what was necessary by changing the currency and starving your egocentric morons, As for me, i dont bloody care if millions of opponents die in as much as am defending myself and my people

Some Nigerians are funny as hell. It baffles me to read from someone who accused a person of having no brain yet shows no sign of having one. Ojukwu attacked Nigerian territories as Gowon attacked Biafran territories. I shall not urge you to make use of your brain because you have none. Ojukwu did not attack Awo’s people but Nigeria. If the people who fought on the Nigerian side were the so-called Awo’s people, I say you maybe onto something.

Nigerians who fought with northern soldiers and politicians shall ever remain the enemies of Biafrans. All the so-called southerners who joined forces with northern region shall be regarded as northerners even though they are trying very today to convince undiscerning onlookers that they are southerners.

Of course, Awo was right and justifiable in his actions and unequivocal outburst about starvation and financial strangulation because he was cornerstone of Biafran enemy. Once you are an enemy of the people, you shall remain enemy of the people forever.

SapeleGuy:
I hope you will be gracious enough to apologise for this erroneous contribution or should I use your phrase 'blunder'.
The election in question was for the Western Region House of Assembly - August 8 1960.

Pal you are right on this one. There was a regional election in western region of the British Protectorate due to suspension of seats in certain constituencies. It was an emergency election which did not follow the chronicle order of regional elections. My bad.

babasoty:
If they were treated as equals, would there be an agitation for COR state, If they were treated as equals would there be the fear of reprisals on the easterners by the SS folks after the war leading to the abandonment of their properties especially in Port-harcourt, if they were treated like equals would there be the feeling of betrayal by the SS people on the igbos during the civil war, nope my bros they weren't treated as equals, I would start expatiating on equality treatments here but if there was any I don't think what I have put forward would have taken place.

Have you heard about jealousy, lack of zeal to compete adequately, greed, misguided political priority, self-centered interest and brain washing?  The same so-called minorities were adequately represented in the government of eastern region of Nigeria from the executive perspective to other branches of the government. Were they minors or houseboys? They contested election and enjoyed the position of elected office as Ndigbo did.

I shall be all ears if you could intellectually enumerate the structure of eastern region government with reference to political appointments. Until you cite such examples, I shall advise you to decease from self-indictment of political blunder committed by few minorities in defunct eastern region of Nigeria.

The act of joining federal government of Nigeria during war and looting of properties that belonged to Ndigbo by certain minorities in eastern region must await for its reprisals and consequences.

SapeleGuy:
In the election of 1960 AG won 15 of the 30 seats in the Mid Western area, so I stand by the point made earlier. Despite any clash the Mid West was a labour of love for His Royal Majesty Oba Akenzua, Omo Osagie, Anthony Enahoro, Festus Okotie-Eboh, Jereton Mariere, Shaka Momodu, Dennis Osadebe etc etc the simple point was they united to create Mid West in the face of formidable opposition from Awolowo, the rest as they say is history.

There was neither federal nor regional election in 1960. What 1960 election are you insinuating?

babasoty:
@obiagu1

Don't blame the people of the SS region----- they know what they passed through when they were part of the eastern region, if they were treated as equals with the ibo's i don't think the distrust and hatred would abound today.

Please do not make hay with unfounded fallacies. I would like you to expatiate on equality treatment.

It is an unforgivable blunder for any person to cite the fact that despite inabilities of Otu Edo or Owegbe to beat Action Group, Mid-western region was created. The creation of Mid-western region was a clash of NCNC and AG. By the way, Otu Edo was also known as Benin Action Group Grand Alliance. 

Both Udo Udoma and Adaka Boro are the architects of COR and Niger Delta Republic respectively and were political losers as well as interlopers planted by political operatives outside Eastern region. Udoma’s quest for political relevance was ditched by primary school headmaster. Niger Delta Congress could not win more than one seat out of nine seats for federal constituency for Brass\Rivers. 

By the way, western Ijo was and remains minority of all minorities in the defunct Mid-Western region.

@OP

If this article was not written by a human being, I would not have struggled to cast away the unfounded conjectures abound. Also if the so-called south-south did not defy the amalgam of cardinal intellect as thought by physical geography, I would have been worried sick. Anybody who has iota of sense pertaining to directional references as presented by geography should know that the nomenclatural south-south is a product of individuals and accepted by same trolls who are either delusional or sold on the patronages of dirty politics. If Cross River State which comprises Ogoja province and Edo State are lumped into the so-called south-south which has been partially accepted into Nigerian political lexicon, one does not need to wonder why Nigeria is lagging seriously behind in any human endeavor.

Credit should be given to the original post which highlighted the period of agitation for Calabar-Ogoja-Rivers (COR) state in the 60s which has no bearing on the present day south-south. The reference of Mgbako Igbo pre-conference summit in Enugu in 1994 is not only laughable but questionable. I can recall that issue of abandon property in Port Harcourt, River States was reverberating in the psychic of any Igbo person and remains a thorny issue too. I could not fathom why certain principal actors against such a draconian and spiteful decree against Ndigbo would champion a course of political relevance to certain group of people who are beneficiaries of such draconian government action.

It is funny to know that the same folks who seemed to be twisted out of human form about PDP zoning clause in its constitution are the same people basking in the early morning sunshine about creation of meaningless south-south zone. The whole saga of the so-called geopolitical zones and the uproar created by the uncovering of zoning formula by PDP begs for logical deduction.

I had to inform the original poster that I am not a disciple of any fortunate Igbo peeps and careless of what they do with their spare times.

[quote author=naija_swag link=topic=560642.msg7259634#msg7259634 date=1291306717]Mr academic,English is your mother tongue,ewu Congo.Has it entered your head before that if zoning is necessary,it can be enshrined in the constitution.Is the constitution not amendable to reflect the will and aspiration of the people.God is dealing with North period.Anuofia Cambridge![/quote]Mr Anugboko, the last time I check though, there are more than one political party in Nigeria. Zoning of political office in PDP is an exclusive political mechanism of the party. It remains a mystery while people still knock their heads over the zoning of political offices in PDP. If the PDP platform or manifesto is overbearing on few trolls, the door is wide open for such individuals to bolt. The whining is an indication of political shortsightedness and pursuit of political wellbeing based on greed and self-centeredness.

GEJ and the likes of you could join other political parties where such arrangement is determined by man-know-man, dog-eat-dog or free for all means. The way you sounded in your post, there is indication a political minnow such as you will not even survive in such environment.

You should be reminded that Nigerian constitution has more serious inalienable issues to tackle than enshrining zoning mechanism as a code.

DapoBear:
^-- The british journalist too was on the Nigerian side? Is this true of any event? All observers, even 3rd parties must be biased in favor of one party or another? Even if they extensively document and research their positions with quotes, first-hand reports, analysis of audio tapes, etc?

Surely you see that such a worldview is pure paranoia. Insanity, even.

It is unfortunate your stream of thought has taken noise dive in this discuss. I do not care if the said author is a British or Chinese the fact remains there was no element of neutrality during Nigeria/Biafra civil war.

Lt Cmdr Cox, who was a British, Lt Cmdrs Abdulahi and Soroh were members of hunting party that tried to chase down Lt Cmdr Ebitu Ukiwe who sailed away with a Nigerian frigate. Fight Lieutenant Brown, who was an Australian, flew the MIG 21 for Nigeria that shot down plans trying to supply Biafra with food and medicine. Egyptian pilot flew combat missions in MIG 21s for Nigeria during the debacle.

Please do not invoke ignorance with such a question as “The British journalist too was on the Nigerian side?”

Where is Becomepoor?

DapoBear:
You seem to have misread. By "neutrality", I meant a source neither Nigerian or Biafran. There were many eyes which saw the war who did not belong to either group, and thus might be considered neutral. Including the author of the book I mentioned.

You are right that many eyes saw the war. In my eyes there was no neutral entity during war. Even few sons of Igbo, Ibibio, Annang and Ogoni pinched tent with Nigeria. Anybody who claimed neutrality during the Nigeria/Biafra civil war is completely delusional. The fool who claimed neither Nigerian or Biafran must be a Cameroonian according to you.